Using multi-temporal remote sensing data to quantify forest cover change in Dien Bien Dong district, Dien Bien province during 1991-2017

tents from 1991 - 2017 (ha) 
 Year 
 Land covers 
 1991 1999 2009 2017 
 Forest 49,351.7 47,668.0 38,399.2 37,414.6 
 Non-forest 70,760.3 72,444.0 81,712.7 82,697.3 
 Total 120,111.9 120,112.0 120,111.9 120,111.9 
 As shown in table 3, figure 2 and figure 3, forest (occupied 59.11%) in 1991. However, 
the forest cover extents intends to decrease over extents of forest covers decreased to 47,668.0 
time, from 1991 to 2017. In particular, there ha, 38,399.2 ha and 37,414.6 ha in 1999, 2009 
were 49,351.7 ha of forest cover (accounting for and 2017, respectively. In contrast, extents of 
40.89% of total area), about 70,760.3 ha of non- non-forest increased from 1991 to 2017. 
 Figure 2. Forest covers in Dien Bien Dong by Landsat 5 in 1991 
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 Management of Forest Resources and Environment 
 Figure 3. Forest covers in Dien Bien Dong by Landsat 8 in 2017 
 Accuracy assessments of LULC classification survey in 2017 and additional information 
 For accuracy assessments of image from Google Earth in 1991, 1999 and 2009 
classification, ground control points from field were used. As a result showed in table 4. 
 Table 4. Summary of accuracy assessments of forest cover maps in selected years 
 Year Classes Forest Non-forest Total Accuracy (%) 
 Forest 78 5 90 86.7 
 1991 Non-forest 3 74 80 92.5 
 Total 40 43 170 89.4 
 Forest 80 10 90 88.9 
 1999 Non-forest 5 72 80 90.0 
 Total 42 51 170 89.4 
 Forest 76 14 90 84.4 
 2009 Non-forest 11 69 80 86.3 
 Total 38 66 170 85.3 
 Forest 112 8 120 93.3 
 2017 Non-forest 6 94 100 94.0 
 Total 118 102 220 93.6 
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 As shown in table 4, by using NDVI confusions between forest covers and non-
classification in combination with forest covers during assessments conducted. 
unsupervised classification, maps of forest The errors may be due to the spectral 
covers in four selected years are at high disturbance of the image, the effect of the 
accuracy. In particular, the accuracies of forest angle of the image, the shade of the terrain 
covers mapping are at 89.4%, 89.4%, 85.3% cannot be eliminated in the process of image 
and 93.7% in 1991, 1999, 2009 and 2017, processing. 
respectively. With these results, using the 3.2. Spatial forest cover change and drivers 
NDVI in combination with the unsupervised of change 
classification is reasonable for forest covers Based on the maps of forest covers, study 
mapping in Dien Bien Dong due to the spatially quantified changes in forest covers in 
relatively high accuracy. Besides, there are still selected periods as shown in table 5. 
 Table 5. Forest cover change detection in selected periods 
 Types 
 Years Forest Net change 
 No forest Forest loss Forest gain 
 stable detection 
 1991 - 1999 57207.3 15236.6 13552.9 34115.0 -1683.7 
 1999 - 2009 62450.2 19262.5 9993.8 28405.4 -9268.7 
 2009 - 2017 63026.3 19671.0 18686.4 18728.2 -984.6 
 As shown in table 5, forest covers lost are forest covers in net change detection during the 
detected in net change of all three selected period of 1991 - 1999, 1999 - 2009 and 2009 - 
periods. These findings indicate that there have 2017, respectively. It is also notable that period 
been a negative change in forest covers in Dien of 1999 - 2009 with largest forest cover extents 
Bien Dong district. In particular, there were a was lost compared with other periods. 
loss of 1683.7 ha, 9298.7 ha and 984.6 ha of 
 Figure 4. Forest covers change in the period of 1991 - 2017 
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 Drivers of Forest cover change in kept the forest covers extents of Dien Bien 
selected periods Dong reducing. According to Mr. Nguyen 
 Period of 1991 - 1999: In this period, Dien Trong Muoi, Deputy Director of Dien Bien 
Bien Dong district was just newly established Dong District Forest Protection Department 
and management broad was under the (Personal communication, 2017), in recent 
arrangement with a lack of professional and years, the number of violations of the Law on 
skilled staff management. In addition, more Forest Protection and Development has 
than 90% of the population were ethnic increased. In 2015, forest rangers discovered, 
minorities with nearly 50% of poor prosecuted and fired with over 70 million 
households, limited intellectual level and low VND. Of which, 6 cases of deforestation with 
rate of socio-economic growth additionaly the area of forest cleared over 20 ha were 
contributed to make situation much worse. The caught, mainly protection forests and 
main economic activities of the local people productive forests. Forest fires is also a 
included shifting cultivation, which was continuous occurrence. In the first six months 
dependent on upland fields. In addition, there of 2016, there were 17 cases of forest fires 
were netheir programs nor projects applied to and 182 ha of forests were destroyed by fires. 
encourange local people to participate in forest However, this period, the loss of forest cover 
protection. Therefore, some areas of the forests extents was less than 2009, because in this 
were cleared simply for cultivating crops and period the management broad have applied 
improving local livelihoods. some big projects, such as forest and land 
 Period of 1999 - 2009: This period was allocation, forest plantation and financial 
featured with extremely difficult economic support from Payments for ecosystem services 
conditions together with poor infrastructure program. 
system. There was a tendency of ethnic 3.3. Solutions for sustainable forest 
people’s migration for shifting cultivation management 
after only 2 to 3 years of cultivation when the Based on the findings identified in Dien 
upland rice was degraded, eroded and washed Bien Dong, including poor infrastructure, 
away by water, land was unable to be many poor ethnic minorities with low 
cultivated. Consequently, leaving behind the awareness, lack of staff management, 
wilderness, the villagers continued to cut ineffective management plans. The study 
down the forest to make slash and burning. purposes some key solutions for sustainable 
Local people did not realized the importance forest management in Dien Bien Dong district, 
of forest resources and when slash and these include: 
burning activities led to occurrence of forest Lack of human resources: A number and 
fires more often. This could explains why the quality of forest managers should be increased 
largest forest cover extents were lost in this and improved by providing more training 
period. courses and workshops to enrich the required 
 Period of 2009 - 2017: In this period, the knowledge for natural resources management in 
area of forest continuously decreased because the area. 
of increasing growth rate of population, Effective forest management plans: 
leading to increasing demand for forest Enhancing measures in the forest management, 
resources. Along with that, the illegal forest protection and development should be prioritised 
exploitation, deforestation and forest fires have with focusing on the prevention and control of 
128 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY NO. 2 - 2018 
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forest fires in dry season. Promoting there are a high accuracy in all selected 
dissemination of measures in the management, years, over 85.0% of map accuracy. The 
protection and development of forests to results show forest cover extents declined 
agencies, departments, unions, communes, towns from 37,414.6 ha in the period of 1991 -1999 
in the district also should be paid into attention. and 9,268.7 ha in the period of 1999 - 2009 
 Improvement of local livelihoods: and 984.6 ha in the period of 2009 - 2017. 
Intensive development in agroforestry and The study has also conducted the interview 
agricultural cultivation techniques should be and information obtained from document 
carried out to contribute to increasing products materials indicated that human is the main 
and incomes of local people. driving forces of forest cover change rather 
 Public media enhancement: Raising local than natural factors. The main human drivers 
awareness of the important roles and benefits of of forest cover change included shifting 
forest should be carried out. Encouraging local cultivation, depending on upland fields and illegal 
people to plant and protect forests, use natural logging, main contribution of natural induced 
resources in a sustainable way should be taken (forest five some time by human), landslide and 
into account as designing land use planning. erosion. The study also found that Dien Bien 
 Enhancement of scientific research: Dong is a poor district, with low economic 
Promoting scientific research in the area, conditions, poor infrastructure and have many 
including on monitoring and management ethnic groups with low education. Therefore, 
forest resources should be prioritised. The management plans should be combined 
scientific researches would help policy makers between sustainable use of resources and local 
to drive reasonal decisions on sustainable livelihood improvements in combination with 
forest development and planning. certain local conditions. 
 Enhancement of forest policies: Land and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 
forest allocation to individual households and We would like to express our gratitude to 
communities under 30a/2008/NQ-CP of the staffs and local authorities in Dien Bien 
Government should be reviewed and revised. Dong for the enthusiastic support during our 
In addition, Land and forest land allocation works conducted as well as and special thanks 
under the Plan No. 388/KH-UBND dated to local people for supporting us to collect 
20/02/2013 was issued by Dien Bien data. 
Provincial People's Committee should be REFERENCES 
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 SỬ DỤNG DỮ LIỆU VIỄN THÁM ĐA THỜI GIAN ĐỊNH LƯỢNG THAY ĐỔI 
 ĐỘ CHE PHỦ RỪNG TẠI HUYỆN ĐIỆN BIÊN ĐÔNG, 
 TỈNH ĐIỆN BIÊN GIAI ĐOẠN 1991 - 2017 
 Lò Hồng Sơn1, Nguyễn Hải Hòa2, Diana Gabriela Flores Montenegro3, 
 Nguyễn Thị Thu Hiền4, Đặng Hoàng Vương5, Nguyễn Thị Bích Hảo6 
 1,2,5,6Trường Đại học Lâm nghiệp 
 3Trường Đại học Gabriel Rene Moreno 
 4Trường Đại học Nông Lâm - Đại học Thái Nguyên 
 TÓM TẮT 
 Nghiên cứu về sự thay đổi độ che phủ của rừng và sử dụng đất theo thời gian thông qua việc sử dụng các tư 
 liệu viễn thám trên nhiều quy mô khác nhau đã được tiến hành ở Việt Nam trong những năm trở lại đây. Tuy 
 nhiên, có rất ít nghiên cứu được áp dụng để điều tra việc sử dụng đất và thay đổi độ che phủ đất hay sự thay đổi 
 độ che phủ của rừng tại huyện Điện Biên Đông. Do vậy, nghiên cứu sử dụng dữ liệu viễn thám đa thời gian để 
 định lượng việc thay đổi độ che phủ của rừng và xác định các nguyên nhân tác động đến sự thay đổi độ che phủ 
 tại huyện Điện Biên Đông, tỉnh Điện Biên trong giai đoạn 1991 - 2017 được thực hiện. Trong nghiên cứu này, 
 chúng tôi sử dụng dữ liệu hình ảnh vệ tinh, Landsat 5 (TM) cho các năm 1991, 1999, 2009 và Landsat 8 (OLI) 
 năm 2017 với độ phân giải không gian 30 m. Chỉ số NDVI (chỉ số khác biệt thực vật được chuẩn hóa) kết hợp 
 với phương pháp phân loại không kiểm định được sử dụng. Kết quả nghiên cứu cho thấy độ chính xác của các 
 bản độ che phủ rừng sau phân loại đạt trên 85,0%. Với kết quả này có thể nói phương pháp kết hợp NDVI và 
 phân loại không kiểm định là phù hợp và có thể sử dụng cho khu vực nghiên cứu. Kết quả cho thấy độ che phủ 
 rừng giảm trong giai đoạn 1991 - 2017 từ 49.351,68 ha xuống còn 37.414,62 ha (giảm 11.937,06 ha), giai 
 đoạn 1991 - 1999 giảm 1.683,72 ha, giảm 9.268,74 ha giai đoạn 1999 - 2009 và giảm 984,6 ha giai đoạn 
 2009 - 2017. 
 Từ khóa: Điện Biên Đông, GIS, sử dụng đất, thay đổi che phủ đất, viễn thám. 
 Received : 27/02/2018 
 Revised : 23/3/2018 
 Accepted : 02/4/2018 
 130 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY NO. 2 - 2018